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Music Collection

At the core of the collection are scores in both scholarly and performing editions, literature on music history and theory, and microforms of primary sources.

Overview

At the core of the collection are scores in both scholarly and performing editions, literature on music history and theory, and microforms of primary sources. Recent collection development efforts have focused on the acquisition of contemporary music scores, facsimiles of original printed and manuscript sources, and materials related to ethnomusicology, popular music, and jazz. The collection's strengths include multiple performances of standard concert repertory and extensive holdings in world musics. Currently, an effort is underway to expand the holdings of contemporary art music and popular music. The library collects video recordings of staged musical productions (opera, ballet, musical theater) and selected orchestral and jazz performances.

Collection Description

The Otto E. Albrecht Music Library and Eugene Ormandy Music and Media Center serve the research and teaching needs of Penn’s Music Department and the Penn music community. At the core of the collection are scores in both scholarly and performing editions, literature on music history and theory, ethnomusicology, jazz, popular music, and microforms of primary sources. We house more than 70,000 books, more than 75,000 music scores (print and digital), and more than 50,000 sound recordings and video (digital and analog formats), as well as journals and periodicals.

Special Collections

The Kislak Center for Special Collections houses the Library's rare music along with several collections of particular musical interest, including the papers of Marian Anderson, Rudolf Serkin, Alma Mahler Werfel, and the American Musicological Society, the Eugene Ormandy Archive, the Leopold Stokowski Collection, and the archives of the Philadelphia Musical Fund Society, Savoy Company, and Marlboro Music Festival. A more complete listing is located here: https://guides.library.upenn.edu/music/findingaids. Note: The Related Collections list below is under construction.

Contact

Spaces

Photo of the entrance to the Eugene Ormandy Music and Media Center

Eugene Ormandy Music and Media Center

The Eugene Ormandy Music & Media Center is named for the long-term conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra and features our listening room, media collections, study spaces, and two media production studios.

Doing Research

This Overview to Music Resources at Penn provides a starting point for research and complete listings of research databases and streaming media: https://guides.library.upenn.edu/music

Book Databases and eBook Platforms